African Journals Online
Health SA Gesondheid : interdisciplinary research journal

Volume 6, Issue 2, June 2001

An investigation into the practices of traditional and faith healers in an urban setting in South Africa
Peltzer, K. 3-11

Abstract: There is a lack of knowledge on traditional and faith healer's fees, practice and attitudes towards working within the government health sector. Therefore this study is aimed at investigating the above in an urban area in the Northern Province of South Africa. The objectives are: (1) to identify the demographic and practice characteristics of traditional and faith healers in an urban setting, (2) identify the conditions and problems commonly treated by traditional and faith healers, and (3) assess the referral details and willingness to work within the biomedical sector, the costs involved as well as the training needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with traditional healers (n=20) and faith healers (n=23) in an urban area in the Northern Province (South Africa) on socio-demographic characteristics, practice particulars, training, areas of specialisation, case load, the five commonest reasons for consultation, referral information, fees structure and attitudes towards government health service. As a result, it was found that both traditional and faith healers seem to treat a variety of problems and illnesses. Traditional healers seem to be more specialised in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and children's diseases, whereas faith healers are more specialised in substance abuse and chronic conditions as well as social problems. Both traditional and faith healers seem, at an equal level, to deal with witchcraft/sorcery related problems, physical disorders and mental disorders. Both traditional and faith healers hardly referred or got referred any patients in the last 4 weeks. Faith healers saw on average much more new (67) and old patients (54) patients in the last 4 weeks than traditional healers did (new patients: 9.6 and old patients: 6.1). Generally traditional healers seem to be more willing than faith healers to work within the government health service, irrespective of the place: in own premises, in a general practice surgery, or in hospital with outpatients.

Cancer prevention : attitudes and practices among black South African university students
Peltzer, K. 12-17

Abstract: This study intended to investigate the attitudes and practices of cancer prevention among Black South African university students. The sample included 793 Black University students from non-health courses chosen at random from the University of the North, South Africa. The students were 370 (46.7%) males and 423 (53.3%) females between the ages of 18 to 25 years (M age 21.0 years, SD=3.48). Results indicate that 27.5% of the women said that they knew how to examine their breasts. About one third (34.2%) of those who knew about breast self-examination never did breast self-examination and 25.5% did it the recommended 10 and more times a year. While 87.8% had never had a cervical smear test, 6.8% had at least one the previous year. Overall, 24.2% of the male students knew how to examine their testicles for cancer, and from those who knew this 41.9% had never done it and 22.1% did it the recommended 10 times and more a year. Logistic regression found that attitudes were an independent predictor for testicles self-examination but not for breast self-examination and cervical (pap) smear test. If cancer self-examination and tests are to be adopted on a wider scale, more effective promotion will be required.

Intuition in clinical decision-making by the nurse in ICU
Arries, E.Botes, A.Nel, E. 18-32

Abstract: This research article follows on a previous article where the results of a concept analysis of intuition were reported. The purpose of this article is to debate the role of intuition in clinical decision-making by the nurse in ICU. Clinical decision-making has been noted by many critical care nurses and nurse researchers as one of the most critical elements of critical care nursing. Minute by minute, the critical care nurse is bombarded with a vast array of data that is, in part, derived from numerous monitoring devices employed in modern ICUs. Although interpretation of the data begins with an understanding of the physiology or pathophysiology being monitored, the ultimate application of the monitoring of this data depends on the ability of the critical care nurse to make clinical decisions. Clinical decision-making refers to a reasoning process that the critical care nurse employs in order to care for the critically ill patient. The purpose of clinical decision-making in ICU is to promote the health of the critically ill patient through more complete and effective problem solving. Based on experience and observation of decision-making in ICU, it was observed that nurses in critical care units make clinical decisions, some of which they can justify, and others that they cannot justify. The latter type of clinical decision-making is sometimes referred to by nurses in critical care units as "gut-feeling" or intuition. Furthermore, it appears from this observation that clinical decision-making based on intuition is effective and contributes to better and more complete problem solving in critical care units. Therefore, the following question arises: What is the role of intuition in clinical decision-making by the nurse in ICU? >From the debate on the role of intuition in clinical decision-making in ICU, the conclusion is drawn that in order to facilitate better and more complete problem solving in ICU, both clinical decision-making based on the nursing process and intuition are necessary.

A model for curriculum development in nursing
De Villiers, L. 33-45

Abstract: A curriculum model for curriculum development in nursing and the health sciences is discussed. This model establishes a strategy by which curriculum development can be approached comprehensively and systematically. The steps and tasks inherent in the three curriculum development phases, namely planning, design and application are outlined. Application of the Model for Curriculum Development in Nursing would lead to the establishment of a curriculum document that comprises sections on the foundations of the proposed curriculum, an educational plan and an implementation strategy.

Quality assessment of doctoral programmes
Ketefian, S. 46-54

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to focus attention on the different ways in which doctoral education can be evaluated. It reviews highlights from the literature in this regard, identifies purposes of doctoral education, and different assessment approaches that have been used. The author develops a practical framework to guide educators in their thinking about evaluation. The practical framework is then submitted to a test of its validity through a discussion of criteria and procedures used in one setting. Compelling reasons are provided for the benefits of conducting doctoral programme assessment - for the institution, for society and for other constituents.

Politics and nursing
Van Niekerk, S.E. 55-61

Abstract: Politics implies the art of influencing people, and nurses have the political responsibility to influence the allocation of scarce resources. The concept of power and politics in nursing entails the reform of health issues, socio-political issues such as facilities for effective higher education in nursing, and facilities to enable nurses to render effective patient care in any given situation. The only way nurses will be allowed to have input in these issues is when they are comprehensively trained according to standards higher than minimum requirements, including education in politics and the application thereof. Preparing nursing practitioners who can cope with, and who can initiate future health-care issues will require changes in the education of nurses. Nurses should be educated in the financing of health care, and in the important influence quality health care could have on productivity in the country, as well as in analysing the changing needs of the community. Nursing Educators can and do influence the health-care system by being in control of what they teach, by being role models, and by selecting the clinical sites where they expect students to develop clinical skills.